AIR FORCE WINSON NATO POST

President Clinton's decision to name Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston as NATO commander was a historic victory for the Air Force and reflects the theory that future NATO military engagements will rely on air power, military experts said on Wednesday.

The post has been held by a four-star U.S. Army general during NATO's 50 years, except for the appointment of Air Force Gen. Lauris Norstad by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956.

The NATO commander's mission during the Cold War was to make plans to defend Europe against a potential massive Soviet ground attack.

Former Air Force leaders said the appointment of Ralston, currently vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was an acknowledgement that NATO's future wars likely will resemble the 11-week conflict in Kosovo earlier this year, when the 19 members of NATO relied on air power.

It was unclear how Ralston's nomination to the NATO post would fare in the U.S. Senate, which must confirm him for the job. Ralston's acknowledgment in 1997 of a past adulterous affair sparked political opposition to his planned appointment as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Ralston decided to withdraw his name rather than undergo Senate hearings and a floor vote.

His selection for the NATO post sparked enthusiasm among his supporters on Wednesday.

"This is the biggest deal for the Air Force from a personnel standpoint in the last 30 years," said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Buster Glosson, the architect of air operations during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. "I can't think of a bigger deal. That is the No. 1 commander job in all of the world, period."

The appointment reflects the view that air-dominated wars "are significantly more likely to occur" than land wars as NATO maps out the future, Glosson said.

A pilot who has logged more than 2,500 flying hours in F-4s, F-16s and F-15s, Ralston flew 147 combat missions over Laos and North Vietnam. Other assignments have included a stint as the Air Force's top official in charge of training and equipping all active-duty combat squadrons.

His medals include the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Legion of Merit.

Ralston's appointment is to become effective in May, after the departure of Army Gen. Wesley Clark, who commanded NATO's conflict against Yugoslavia and whose term was cut short by two months.

Although Clark and administration officials often sparred over the course of the Balkans conflict, White House spokesman Joe Lockhart insisted on Wednesday that the Army general was not being punished.

Rather, Lockhart said, Clark was being let go early to make room for Ralston, who must leave his current Pentagon post by early next year. By law, Ralston must get a new four-star position within 60 days or retire.